Whatsapp, Waze, Fon and Chartboost join 4YFN, Mobile World Capital Barcelona’s event for entrepreneurs

• Fon founder Martin Varsavsky will interview Whatsapp cofounder Jan Koum
  Waze, one of the most popular applications for routes and traffic services, recently acquired by Google, will be represented by its vice-president, Di-Ann Eisnor
• Chartboost, the Silicon Valley company that has revolutionised advertising in mobile games, will lead a panel on the basic principles to ensure that an app succeeds

February 6, 2014

Jan Koum, the founder of Whatsapp; Di-Ann Eisnor, Vice-president of Waze and a pioneer in the community editing of maps, and Pepe Agell , head of international expansion for Chartboost, join the list of experts at 4 Years From Now (4YFN). The entrepreneurship event organized by Mobile World Capital Barcelona, which will be held in conjunction with this year’s Mobile World Congress, has also received confirmation from rising international figures in the mobile entrepreneurship community.

4YFN attendees will learn from Jan Koum’s experience thanks to a fireside chat conducted by Fon founder Martin Varsavsky, an investor in a range of international startups and one of the most important entrepreneurs in Spain, where he created Jazztel and Ya.com. Koum will share with the entrepreneurial community the keys to the success of Whatsapp and the process which led to the creation and expansion of this application, which since its inception has revolutionized the way in which mobile users send messages.

John Malloy, general manager of BlueRun Ventures, will talk to Di-Ann Eisnor about the success story behind Waze, a traffic and navigation app created in 2008 that soon earned the trust of millions of users, and which Google acquired in 2013 for almost $ 1 billion.

4YFN will also feature the presence of Chartboost’s Director of International Expansion, Pepe Agell. Chartboost is a Silicon Valley company founded by Barcelona’s Maria Alegre, who devised an advertising platform for mobile game applications, which secured $21 million in financing from Sequoia Capital. Famous games like Clash of Clans, Candy Crush, and Cut The Rope have utilized Chartboost’s services. Pepe Agell, together with marketing experts from leading game development companies, will announce the channels, advertising formats, and strategies that are most efficient when it comes to succeeding in the App Store and standing out from amongst the thousands of applications out there.

Another highlight will be the presence of Nathan Blecharczyk, Technical Director and cofounder of Airbnb, who will share his experience as a successful entrepreneur with the public at 4YFN. Martin Varsavsky, in addition to interviewing Jan Koum, will also give an exclusive lecture to 4YFN attendees.  Israeli investor and entrepreneur Yossi Vardi , who has advised the World Bank and UN Development Program on energy issues, will also participate in 4YFN as a speaker.  And Massimo Banzi, cofounder of Arduino, will talk about the Internet of Things from the perspective of his support for free hardware.

Different Barcelona-based companies will also be present at the event, including Privalia, Ulabox and Rakuten (Wuaki.tv), whose leaders will present mobile-related trends in e-Commerce. Meanwhile, the co-founder and CEO of Catchoom will head up a workshop on constructing augmented reality experiences. 

4YFN is where entrepreneurs build mobile ideas and startups

Created by Mobile World Capital Barcelona, the event will provide a real hands on experience that will help entrepreneurs get to the next level. Attendees will build a larger international network, get real feedback on concepts, and find the resources to accelerate their current or future business in only four days. The event includes a wide program of conferences, workshops, pitches, and expert meetings designed to cater all the needs of the mobile entrepreneurial environment. It will gather the best mobile industry leaders, successful entrepreneurs, and digital experts along with renowned accelerators, incubators, and investors.

4YFN is for all entrepreneurs at any stage of the entrepreneurial process. From individuals seeking inspiration to get started, validation of an idea or an opportunity to build quality contacts, to start ups looking for talent, specific advice or financing.

The creation of 4YFN marks a response to the key role that MWCB assigns to programs focusing on entrepreneurship and innovation, and is based on a desire to provide real support to the entrepreneurial sector, a field that is vitally strategic not only for mobile transformation, but also for economic and business development.